Rethinking the Environmental Impact of AI and Digital Communications

For more than a decade, the message “go paperless, go green” has been used by companies and organizations encouraging customers to opt for digital over print. But as we know from our own research and newly emerging data, this long-standing assumption is due for a rethink.

With the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and the increasing use of digital platforms, we must continually examine the real environmental cost of “paperless” communications—and whether digital is truly the greener option.

The Illusion of Invisibility

One of the most powerful myths in sustainability today is the idea that going paperless with digital has no footprint. Emails, cloud storage, AI interactions—they all feel weightless and invisible. But the reality is far from carbon-neutral. Every digital interaction, from reading a PDF to asking ChatGPT a question, demands energy. And as AI becomes a central part of how we communicate, search, and work, that demand is growing fast—and so is the environmental toll.

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